1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a training aid for baseball pitchers. It relates, more particularly, to an aiming and scoring device for use with a pitchback net.
2. Prior Art
Pitchback nets conventionally consist of a resilient sheet elastically suspended in the aperture of a substantially rectangular rigid frame and provided with support means allowing the frame to be placed on the ground at an angle with the vertical. A player uses such a pitchback device by propelling a baseball against its surface with a velocity vector calculated to cause the ball to rebound into the vicinity of the player's hands. The use of such a net tends to inculate in the player the proper speed and direction of ball to result in a returned ball which can be caught by him and then rethrown.
Because of the substantially large surface area over the net which will result in a proper return, the pitchback net does not, by itself, train a pitcher to be particularly accurate in projecting the ball. Moreover, the pitchback net constitutes in essence a one-man game and competitive scoring of achievement for two or more persons is not possible.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide an attachment for pitchback nets which will permit indication of a ball thrown accurately at a particular area of the net.
It is a further aim of the invention to provide in such a device means for adjusting the indicator provided to be responsive to different kinetic energies of the impacting ball, thereby permitting adjustment to players of varying ages and strengths.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a plurality of aiming points, or targets, of the kind described.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide scoring indices associated with each of the aforementioned plurality of aiming points, thereby allowing for the attachment to be used as part of a competitive game, scored on the basis of accurately projected balls by the several players.
It is also an object of the invention to teach the construction of attachments of the type described which is economical to produce, simple to attach to conventional pitchback nets, and easy to adjust to respond to differing distortions of the net.
It is a further object of the invention to provide, as an article of commerce, kits for the conversion of conventional pitchback nets, including an attachment with plural aiming points as described hereinabove and gameboard means for scoring the game played on said net with the aid of said attachment.